British-registered Tour de France team Barloworld lost their third rider from the race Wednesday after Italian Paolo Longo crashed out during the 11th stage from Lannemezan to here.
According to official race radio Longo sustained a fractured collarbone in the crash, which left him in a ditch at the side of the road near the 50km mark.
Barloworld are now down to six riders, having lost Colombian climber Mauricio Soler – the reigning ‘King of the Mountains’ – earlier in the race due to a fractured wrist.
On Wednesday, Spaniard Moises Duenas was kicked off the race by his team following the news of a positive test for the banned blood booster EPO (erythropoietin).